Most insurance policies will cover your home and contents against fire damage. You might want to check your current home insurance and make sure that you have adequate cover for not only your home but also for your belongings inside as well. Here is our guide to making sure that all your questions about fire damage are covered.
Should I get additional coverage?
Look at how much coverage you would get if you did have fire damage to your home and belongings. Is it enough and does it actually cover the extent of your items such as a vintage car or jewellery? If not, then you might find that you want to take out additional coverage to protect those items.
What will I get back for restoration?
You should also look on your home insurance if you will get cash value or replacement cost value. Cash value will only help reimburse you for the item at its depreciated value, so something like an old fridge, would probably only get you a small amount back as the fridge would have devalued over time. Replacement cost value, however, gets you a replacement at today’s up to date prices and is a more desirable option.
Can fire damage concrete, stone, gold or diamonds?
Even though concrete and stone in structure perform amazingly well when fire damage occurs, the visual appearance can be horrible to look at as it will be black and cracked. Stone won’t be destroyed but it will have a char on it which can look unsightly.
Interestingly gold will probably survive most house fires with a melting point of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit however Platinum jewelry is much better as the melting point is 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Diamonds will not go up in smoke but will be damaged from combustion on the surface, so it looks cloudy and white. There are many reports from insurance companies of diamonds being destroyed in fires.
Are tenants responsible for fire damage?
The answer is no, as long as you have not intentionally started a fire in your home as insurance companies won’t cover this. Any accidental fires will be covered by your home insurance.
Who is liable for fire damage?
When fire damage occurs, quite simply if the homeowner’s negligence caused the fire, then they will be held responsible, or if the home is owned by a landlord, then they are responsible for repairs and making it habitable, unless sit can be proven that the tenant was liable for damage.
How do I get rid of fire damage and clean up?
Call a restoration company such as At ZGreen Restoration. They will bring a fresh start to every home or business owner who has experienced fire damage. They remove any soot, ash, or smoke so that they can guarantee you the ability to breathe easy as well as sorting out any insurance issues for you, so you don’t have to sort out paperwork as well.
What are the causes of fire damage?
According to Zurich Muncipal, which is a reputable insurance company, the most common causes of house fires are:
- Cooking equipment
- Heating equipment
- Careless smoking
- Electrical equipment
- Candles
- Children playing with fire
- Inadequate wiring
- Flammable liquids
- Christmas tree decorations
- Barbeques
- Smoke and mirrors
- Batteries
- Remote controls
- Batteries
- Lint in tumble dryers
- Aerosol cans
- Arson
- Bonfires
How can I sell a house after fire damage?
Selling a house after fire damage can be tough but you could spend the insurance money to repair the damage with a specialist home restoration company like Green Restoration who specialise in fire damage repair and are fire damage cleaners. You could then make the house habitable so that you can sell it to a regular buyer.
Alternatively, you could sell to a buyer who is interested in doing up the home, however this way mighty lose you a lot of money in the sale of the home.
ZGreen Restoration offer a professional approach with IICRC Certified Technicians who all carry a Fire Restoration Certificate as well as full certified training in other damages.
Call us today on 408-212-6034 or email us at info@zgreenrestoration.com to see how we could help you get your home or office back to a living and working space again.
